


You've Got A Piece of Me

by rhiannonhero



Category: As the World Turns RPF
Genre: M/M, RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-03
Updated: 2010-08-03
Packaged: 2017-10-13 02:23:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/131774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhiannonhero/pseuds/rhiannonhero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Van misses Luke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You've Got A Piece of Me

**Author's Note:**

> This is RPF -- real people fiction. I do not know these people. I do not claim to know these people. I mean no harm with my _entirely made up story about these people that I do not know_. Again, no injury is intended. No profit is made.

  
Tyler is sitting at the table drinking his coffee, when Van walks in looking disheveled. It's been three months since _As The World Turns_ wrapped filming, and Van has been arduously looking for work ever since, but so far, no luck. Tyler isn't accustomed to supporting them both on his income, but they're doing okay, what with the money Van managed to squirrel away once they knew the show was being canceled.

"Chin up," Tyler says, sipping his coffee. "You're amazing. Something will hit soon. _The Occupant_ should bring some interest, and once you finally get that Emmy for Luke, then you'll be good to go."

"It's not that," Van says, pouring a mug of the special blend that Tyler picked up at a sweet little gourmet shop he passed on his way to work most days.

Tyler sits forward, concerned now. "What's happened?"

"Nothing's happened," Van says apologetically. "No, it's just…this sounds crazy. But I miss Luke."

"That's not crazy, baby. It's just how it is. Everyone misses their characters sometimes when it's over. You just have to channel that energy into your current life. Take what you can from Luke, and apply it here and now. Miss how he was always having emotional breakdowns? Throw a tantrum or two. It won't kill me. I'll survive."

Van smirks, laughing. "You're sweet, but I'd rather not subject you to a Luke tantrum just to feel better."

Tyler stands up. "Sorry, baby, but I'm gonna be late."

A quick kiss and Tyler is out the door, listening to his iPod of showtunes as he runs lines under his breath for the play he's hoping to land.

::::

That night, Tyler opens the door to the apartment and finds Van typing away on the computer, the keyboard chattering like a flock of birds.

"What's up?" Tyler asks.

"I'm coping with my grief," Van says, but his attention is all on the computer.

"Oh, yeah? Okay, then," Tyler can take a hint and he goes off for a shower and to fix some dinner since Van has apparently abandoned all kitchen duties in indulgence of his grief. Tyler's okay with that. It's been five years, after all, and it's like losing a best friend. So, Van has the right to spend some time in mourning.

It doesn't take as long as some people might imagine to make a pizza from scratch, and carbs seem like a good idea tonight, given Van's obvious depression. The serotonin benefits will hopefully offset the fattening side effects, and its not like Van doesn't have plenty of time to work out now, and Tyler's no couch potato himself. It's the right thing to do, Tyler thinks, as he calls out to Van, "Dinner's ready!"

"Coming!" Van replies.

But it is almost ten minutes before Van joins him, and the pizza's nearly cold.

"What are you doing in there?" Tyler asks, as Van puts a slice of pizza on his plate without even a thank you.

"I'm doing what everyone else who misses Luke is doing. I'm writing fanfiction."

Tyler chokes on his pizza and has to take a sip of water. "You're what?"

"Writing fanfiction for Luke. It's very satisfying."

"Well, um, I'm glad it's satisfying and all, but what about how you always thought the fans who wrote that kind of thing were, you know, looney tunes."

"Well, some of it is totally insane. But some of it is…kind of good. And sort of sexy. I might have been a little wrong."

Tyler's not sure what to say to that, so he stuffs some pizza in his mouth and chews thoughtfully.

Van fills the silence, as he is wont to do, by saying, "Yeah, it's amazing how good it feels. It's weird. It's like I'm with my old pal, my old buddy, and I am finally getting some say in what he gets to do." Van frowns. "Although, really, he's not exactly cooperating. I don't know what his problem is, but when I try to get him to do one thing, he just does something else entirely."

Tyler narrows his eyes and takes another bite of food. This is sounding problematic already.

"Yeah, like, I wanted to have him say this one thing to Noah, but he just stood there and stared at me, totally balking, until I let him say this other thing. It was weird." Van looks thoughtful. "Though I kind of found it more satisfying anyway, even though it wasn't the original plan."

"Um, Van?"

"Yeah?"

"Nothing," Tyler says, because Van's eyes are sparkling like they haven't in weeks.

"Okay," Van says, grabbing another slice of pizza, putting it on the plate, and standing up. "I've got to go. Luke's kind of in the middle of something. I should let him finish."

Tyler sighs and tries not to worry. This might be normal after all. What does he know? He's never been a soap character for five years. Maybe this is how he'd cope, too.

::::

Two nights later, Tyler comes out of the bedroom at three in the morning looking for Van and a glass of water. Van's sitting at the computer, his hands in his hair, and a look of complete frustration on his face.

"Baby, come to bed," Tyler says.

"I can't. I just…God, why doesn't he understand that I ship Luke and Noah? Why does he keep banging Reid?"

"What are you talking about?" Tyler asks, rubbing a hand across his bleary eyes.

"I mean, I understand that he's psyched to finally be getting some hot action. Believe me, I get it. The poor guy's had blue balls for years on the show, but Jake is one of my very best friends, and Luke has to get that he must end up with Noah in my story, or Jake's feelings will be hurt."

Tyler shakes his head. He must be dreaming still. He's still asleep surely.

"But Luke just keeps fucking Reid, and he's all in love with him and stuff, and he just wants Noah to go away and stop moping around making him feel guilty. What is wrong with him? Why doesn't he get it?"

Tyler goes to get some water, takes a few sips of it, watching Van bang out a few more sentences and then erase them rapidly. "Van? Um, listen. I think this might be getting out of hand"

Van looks up at him, his brown eyes red-rimmed and tired. "Maybe if I get some sleep, I'll wake up tomorrow and he'll be more cooperative."

Tyler nods. "Yeah, maybe."

"Come on," Van says, saving his document and signing off the computer. "To the bed. Surely tomorrow will be a better day."

"Absolutely," Tyler agrees.

::::

But it isn't. When Tyler gets home from work, Van is still typing like crazy and shaking his head, occasionally exclaiming under his breath at the screen.

"Jake is going to be so pissed when he finds out that I wrote a Luke and Reid story," Van says over dinner.

"Um, Jake is not actually Noah, you know," Tyler says, and he's kind of surprised at himself because that almost sounds like encouragement in a way, when what he'd planned for the dinner conversation was a kind of intervention. Tyler clears his throat and looks down at his plate. But for some reason his inner Luke/Reid shipper is rearing its head. He's been keeping that under wraps from Van for awhile now, knowing how much Van thinks that Luke and Noah belong together. Even though they so don't.

"I know, but…wait," Van says, and Tyler tenses, ready to defend his preference for Luke and Reid if necessary, but kind of hoping they won't go there. What Tyler really needs to do is put a stop to stop this madness.

Van goes on, "You're right. I mean, I guess I have to do what is really right for the character. That's it. That's totally it! Why didn't I understand that before? God, I'm so stupid sometimes."

"Yeah, you are," Tyler says as Van jumps up from the table and races to the computer.

::::

"And, see, there's this anonymous community where I can post the story and I don't even have to make up a fake identity for myself, I can just post it there, and people can read it!" Van says, enthusiastically. "I can't wait to see what the fans think of it. I wonder if they'll think it's hot."

"You wrote sex scenes?"

"Hell yeah. A lot of 'em. Luke had some catching up to do!"

"Oh, God," Tyler says and sits down in the chair next to Van. He's not sure what to make of that.

"So, okay, now I just hit 'Post' and…there it is." Van grins. He stares at the screen. "Now what?"

"Wanna go to a movie?"

"No," Van says, refreshing the screen. "I, uh, should be here to reply to comments."

"What makes you think there will be any comments?"

Van nods knowingly. "Oh, just wait and see."

Tyler's in bed that night reading a book and Van's still in the living room, occasionally whooping or saying, "What the fuck, lady? Don't you get it? Luke and Noah and Reid would never have a threesome! Have you met Luke? Have you met Noah? Now…Reid, on the other hand…."

"Baby, come to bed," Tyler calls again.

"In a few minutes."

"No. Now!"

He hears Van's heavy sigh, and the reluctant tread of his steps as he comes into the room. He looks frustrated and kind of miserable.

"Luke's had enough of you for tonight. Let me have some of you now," Tyler says, putting aside his book, and attempting his best seductive gaze.

Van scratches his head, and then his mood seems to dissipate. He laughs and jumps on the bed, and once kissing has commenced, Tyler thinks it is all going to be okay.

Until mid-fuck, when Van says, "Oh, I should have Luke and Reid do it like this."

::::

Tyler sits down at Van's computer to investigate. He needs to know for himself just what is going on here. Van's at rehearsals for his new gig, and Tyler has about three hours before he's home. And, well, he just has to know what it is about Luke that keeps Van on the computer channeling him for hours. Why can't Van just let him go?

In three clicks Tyler's at the site, and he scrolls through the anonymous stories looking for the ones he thinks are most likely written by Van. There are so many more than he imagined there would be. He finally reads through one that is marked as a WIP, which apparently means "work in progress", because it ends abruptly with Reid held hostage in Malta being forced to perform lobotomies on perfectly innocent human beings.

Then he reads a few more. And a few more.

There's one with some super hot sex, and he gets kind of flustered and turned on reading that, to the point that he's considering jerking off, when he finally remembers that this is not the plan.

He can't believe its been three hours, but Vans' key is turning in the lock, and Tyler doesn't have time to shut it all down before Van is walking into the room saying, "Sorry, I'm late, but I've got this idea for the story—"

"Hey," Tyler says, smiling.

"Hey," Van says, kissing his mouth. "What are you doing?"

"Reading your stories."

"Oh," Van looks nervous for a moment , but then he grins. "What did you think?"

"I think they're good."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Because I thought you were kind of not happy about this whole thing."

Tyler shrugs. "I don't like it when I'm talking to you and you run away to make notes for Luke. I mean, he's not real. I'm real. But I guess I don't mind if you write these things."

Van kneels in front of Tyler and says, "I love you. I'm sorry that I've been distracted."

Tyler pushes Van back onto the rug they bought during a vacation in Los Angeles, and kisses him hard. "I'll show you distracted."

Van waggles his eyebrows, and for thirty minutes all is good, no all is great. And then, lying there on the floor together, Van says, "I think I'll have to get Luke and Reid a puppy. Luke's not going to be satisfied otherwise."

"Well, don't you think you should get poor Reid out of Malta first? He's been forced to lobotomize like twenty people! It seems cruel!"

Van blinks and then breaks up laughing. "Oh my God! I can't believe you thought I wrote that one! That one is so crack fic!"

"Well, which one did you write?"

"The one where Luke and Reid are supposed to have Christmas on the farm, but they get snowed in at the hospital, and they have to have it with all the peds kids."

Tyler grins. "Oh my God, I love that one! It's so cute! And so much sex! Hot sex!"

"Well, I have great inspiration," Van says, kissing Tyler's neck.

"Well, go finish it! It's too cute to be left waiting."

Van runs his fingers over Tyler's collar bone and then murmurs, "But you're too cute to be left waiting, too"

"Oh, really?"

"For sure."

Tyler's not going to complain about that. Oh, hell no. He's missed Van's attention like crazy the last few weeks, and he isn't going to turn it away now.

Still, he does want to know how Van's going to wrap up the hospital story, and he thinks that tomorrow, when Van's at rehearsals again, he'll have to check in and see just what, if anything, has been done to help poor Reid stuck in Malta.

Because, really, Luke and Reid belong together. There is no denying that.

THE END


End file.
